Automation of customer relationship management (crm) tasks responsive to electronic communications

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a method, system and computer program product for automating customer relationship management (CRM) tasks responsive to inbound and outbound messages. In an embodiment of the invention, a method of automating CRM tasks responsive to inbound and outbound messages is provided. The method includes determining a context for a message such as an e-mail, monitoring a set of manual operations performed by an end user in a CRM application subsequent to the determination of the context of the message, grouping the set of manual operations into an automated task for the CRM application, and storing a rule associating the automated task with the context. Thereafter, in response to detecting receipt of a new message, a context is matched for the new message to the rule and the automated task associated with the rule is triggered.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of automating customer relationship management (CRM) tasks responsive to inbound and outbound messages, the method comprising:
 determining a context for a message;   monitoring a set of manual operations performed by an end user in a CRM application subsequent to the determination of the context of the message;   grouping the set of manual operations into an automated task for the CRM application;   storing a rule associating the automated task with the context; and,   responsive to detecting receipt of a new message, matching a context for the new message to the rule and triggering the automated task associated with the rule.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the message is an e-mail message. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the manual operations include linking the message to a record in the CRM application. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the manual operations include archiving the message in association with a record of the CRM application. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the context includes a sender of the message. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the context includes a term disposed within a body of the message. 
     
     
         7 . A customer relationship management (CRM) data processing system configured to automate CRM tasks responsive to inbound and outbound messages, the system comprising:
 a host computing system comprising at least one computer with memory and least one processor and memory;   an e-mail server executing in the memory of the host computing system along with a CRM application; and,   a CRM task automation module coupled to the CRM application, the module comprising computer program code enabled upon execution in the memory of the host computing system to determine a context for an e-mail received in the e-mail server, to monitor a set of manual operations performed in the CRM application subsequent to the receipt of the e-mail, to group the set of manual operations into an automated task for the CRM application, to store a rule associating the automated task with the context, and to respond to detecting receipt of a new e-mail by matching a context for the new e-mail to the rule and triggering the automated task associated with the rule.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the manual operations include linking the e-mail to a record in the CRM application. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the manual operations include archiving in storage the e-mail in association with a contact record of the CRM application. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the context includes a sender of the e-mail. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the context includes a term disposed within a body of the e-mail. 
     
     
         12 . A computer program product for automating customer relationship management (CRM) tasks responsive to inbound and outbound messages, the computer program product comprising:
 a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:   computer readable program code for determining a context for a message;   computer readable program code for monitoring a set of manual operations performed by an end user in a CRM application subsequent to the determination of the context of the message;   computer readable program code for grouping the set of manual operations into an automated task for the CRM application;   computer readable program code for storing a rule associating the automated task with the context; and,   computer readable program code for responding to detecting receipt of a new message by matching a context for the new message to the rule and triggering the automated task associated with the rule.   
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the message is an e-mail message. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the manual operations include linking the message to a record in the CRM application. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the manual operations include archiving in storage the message in association with a contact record of the CRM application. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the context includes a sender of the message. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the context includes a term disposed within a body of the message.